Losing a loved one can be difficult. Thinking about your own funeral can be hard too. This article goes over funeral planning to help you with this issue.

Think about last wishes

The starting point is the person's last wishes. If the person has a will, the will may include them. One common wish is whether the person prefers burial or cremation. Keep the person's last wishes in mind when planning their funeral.

Gather support resources

Make a list of people, charities, and other organizations that can help you plan the funeral. During times of loss, it is important to know where you can go for financial and emotional help.  

Finance the funeral

Next, you should think about how to pay for the funeral. Find out if the person has made any pre-payments for his or her funeral arrangements. Also, find out if the person has any of the following sources of income or death benefits:

• Insurance policies, including life insurance
• Any bank accounts, especially “POD” accounts. POD means “Payable on Death.” This kind of bank account is intended for funeral expenses.
• Social Security death benefit or survivor’s benefit (to find out, contact your local Social Security office, or call (800) 772-1213)
• Veteran burial benefits (to learn about veteran burial benefits, go to the VA website 
• Membership in a church or other organization (sometimes being a member of a group will grant you benefits during times of loss)
• Employee benefits
• Death benefits from pensions, societies, and organizations
• Credit card holders with death benefits policy

Some funeral homes and cemeteries allow you to put a lien on life insurance policies for their services.

If you do not have money to pay for the funeral, you have options. You can seek help from your support resources. You can also brainstorm fund-raising ideas.

There is help available through FEMA for funeral costs of Covid-related deaths through September 30, 2025. You may be eligible for aid if:

• You are a citizen, national or qualified non-citizen,
• The death occurred after January 20, 2020,
• The death occurred in the U.S.,
• You have an official death certificate, and
• The certificate states that the death was due to Covid-19.

You may receive a maximum of $9,000 per funeral and $35,500 per application if you incurred funeral expenses for multiple people. Use one application even if many people contributed. You should gather funeral expense documents including receipts and funeral home contracts. These documents must include your name, the deceased's name, the amount of expenses, and dates incurred. Learn more about funeral assistance and how to apply for it.

Prepare the obituary

Each newspaper charges their fee for publishing obituaries. Call your local newspaper to find out what their prices are. Obituaries are usually printed one to two days before the funeral.

Publishing an obituary may not be within your budget. You can write the obituary and make copies of it. You can pass them out at the funeral home or memorial service.

Include the following information in the obituary:

• An announcement of death: Name, age, place of residence of deceased, time and place of death, and sometimes the reason of death is listed (this depends on the feelings of the family members and loved ones).  
• Biographic Information: List of the most important events, qualities, contributions and connections in the person’s life.  
• Family: List the survivors and those who are still alive after the death of the loved one.
• Service times: You can ask your funeral director to send you a description of the service times.
• Individual messages: You may give special thanks to anyone, give special instructions on where to send flowers or donations, or send a unique, warm message to your loved one who has passed away.
• Photos: While photos typically add to the cost of the obituary, it can be a nice reminder of the person.

Choose a funeral home and funeral services

Sit down with the funeral director to discuss how the funeral service will go. Remember to focus on the last wishes of the person who has passed. Here are some things to discuss:

• Burial or cremation
• Open or closed casket
• Burial clothing
• Funeral service wishes
• Religious affiliation
• Cultural needs
• Funeral memorial cards
• Pallbearers
• Public or private burial

You can start searching for a funeral home by doing a Google search, by asking friends and family, or by going to your support resources.

The law requires funeral homes to give you a General Price List (GPL). Collect GPLs from a few funeral homes and compare the services each funeral home offers. Choose the one that best fits your needs.

Remember that once you choose a funeral home, the funeral director will guide you and make the process easier for you. Many funeral directors are available to you 24-hours a day. 

Get a death certificate

The funeral director provides you with copies of the Death Certificate. Make sure you request enough copies since you will need to supply them for legal purposes, including life insurance benefits.   

The Application for Illinois Death Record requires specific information, such as:

• The death certificate number, if possible,
• Full name on the death record,
• Date of death, and
• Sex.

You can obtain a certified copy of an Illinois death certificate by completing the Application for Illinois Death Record and submitting it by mail or fax to:

Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
925 E. Ridgely Ave.
Springfield, Illinois 62702-2737

Fax: 217-523-2648

A certified death certificate is $19. All additional copies cost $4.

You can also order a certified copy of a death certificate online through VitalChek.

In Illinois, the law requires that a funeral director oversee certain aspects of the final disposition of a body even if you choose a home funeral.

If you need to get a copy of a death certificate for a member of the U.S. military, you can receive a copy at no cost to you. This applies to both active duty service members and veterans who were honorably discharged from the U.S. military. To get the death certificate, you will have to make a written request to your local registrar or county clerk. They can give you up to one certified copy of the death certificate, under seal, for free. If you need more than one copy, each additional copy should not be more than $6.

Choose a cemetery

The person might have decided which cemetery they would like to be buried in. If not, you will have to choose. Here are the different types of cemeteries to consider:

• Public cemeteries
• Religious cemeteries
• District or Municipal cemeteries
• National or Veterans’ cemeteries
• Green cemeteries

Keep in mind that each cemetery has its own rules. This could include:

• Religious requirements
• Types and sizes of headstones or grave markers
• Types of personal memorials or decorations allowed
• Types of plots

Other details

Try to think about how attendees will get to and from the location you've decided on. Many times, transportation to the burial site and flower arrangements can be made with the funeral director.

You can also ask visitors to make donations to a particular cause or organization in memory of the loved one instead of bringing or sending flowers.